New Year's Resolutions
by demondreaming
Summary: A fluff piece for New Years, set at a New Years party at the Vega house. Cori. Oneshot.


**Disclaimer: Victorious didn't belong to me last year, and so far, it doesn't this year either.**

It's ridiculous. This whole year has just passed so quickly. I mean, a year ago, I wasn't even attending Hollywood Arts. A year ago, I didn't know Andre, or Cat, or Beck, or Robbie, or Jade, although I could've gone without knowing her. A year ago I'd never performed in front of a crowd, I'd never acted, or danced, or sang in front of anyone but my family. I'd never thought I could. But so much has happened, so quickly, and most of it's been great. It's been a good year, even if I'm not sure where most of it went.

I weave my way through the throng of teenagers, making my way to the kitchen. Trina decided to post on theSlap that she was having a New Years party, without actually telling me. Or our parents. What's more surprising is that people actually came. I didn't know Trina actually had friends. I thought everyone just did what I did and smiled and nodded when she talked. I really didn't feel like a party... mostly because I'm the one who ends up doing all the work, putting the food out, making the punch. But at least this year I had Cat and Andre to help me. The kitchen is just as crowded, and not for the first time I curse our open plan house. It's impossible to get privacy on the first floor of our house, but I manage to squeeze into a corner near the counter, ladling out a cupful of punch for myself into a red plastic cup. I take a sip, swirling the oversweet liquid around my mouth. I'm not sure what's in it... Cat made it, which of course means it's way too sweet, and I'm sure if I asked her what she made it with, the list of ingredients alone would be enough to rot my teeth, just from hearing it. I frown, looking around. Speaking of Cat, I haven't seen her for a little while. Not that that really says much, seeing how crowded it is. Cat's pretty hard to miss though. It's the hair, your eye is just instinctively drawn to it. Mine are, anyway. I sort of wish I had her daring, but I know it'd look terrible on me. I sort of wonder why she did it sometimes. I mean, I know Cat's impulsive, but she's pretty timid. Sometimes, anyway. She's a contradiction. She's the sweetest person I know, but she's a little... she's not quite right. Not that I'd say that to her face, oh, no no. I take another sip of the punch, my teeth starting to ache, eyes scanning the room. Beck and Jade are cloistered in a corner, Beck's hand resting on Jade's thigh as she talks to him, gesturing. Robbie and Andre are gathered in front of the food table, Andre taking a bite out of his sushi and laughing at something Robbie is saying. Rex is dressed up in a tuxedo, his head swivelling as a girl walks past. Honestly... I think I might like Rex more than Robbie sometimes. I frown, I'm actually starting to think of them as two different people. I think Robbie's got his share of problems too, but where his kind of creep me out, Cat's only serve to make me like her more.

I'm not sure why I'm thinking of Cat. Maybe it's because of the punch... it's leaving this super sweet taste in my mouth, and I imagine that's what Cat's mouth tastes like all the time. I blink. I don't... I mean, I don't think about what Cat's mouth tastes like. Not exactly, it's just... she eats a lot of candy, so... anyway, it's making me think of her. I can't see her anywhere, and it's not like Cat to be... well, alone. Off somewhere by herself. I remind myself I've know her for less than a year... maybe it is like her. I check my phone; it's almost midnight though, she should be out here with everyone. I mean, she helped with the work, and I haven't thanked her. I push myself off the granite counter, setting the half-full plastic cup down. If I drank anymore, I'd be buzzing. I move towards Andre and Robbie, thankful that the music's been turned off for the approach to the countdown; at least I won't have to yell as loud. There's about fifteen minutes left until midnight. I don't know if it's the overwhelming amount of sugar in my veins, or the fact that there's fifteen minutes of the year left, but I'm starting to get excited. "Hey, have you guys seen Cat?"

"Naw, I haven't seen her in..." Andre's face crinkles. "A while, actually."

Robbie shrugs, and I purse my lips, pushing through a bunch of people I don't know. I'm pretty sure some of them don't even go to our school. Or any school... I shrug off a guy's hand, rolling my eyes. This is what happens when you post personal information in a public forum; you get a bunch of creeps. Luckily it's not too out of hand at the moment. No one's drunk at least. I shove someone out of my way, getting frustrated. It's suffocating, being in this mass of people, it's like drowning in a sea of body odour and perfume. I finally make it out to the other side, stumbling over to where Beck and Jade are sitting, straightening my clothes and taking a deep breath. "Do you guys know where Cat is?"

Jade turns to me, raising a studded eyebrow. How she can pack so much disdain into one gesture... well, she's definitely an actress. "No. Leave us alone."

I ignore her, looking to Beck. "I think she went upstairs." He gestures towards them, taking his hand off Jade's leg, Jade glaring at me like I'm personally responsible for it. Hey, it's not my fault, I know where the stairs are, he didn't have to point to them.

I force a smile. Jade always... she's so hostile most of the time. And when she's being nice, it only unnerves me more. "Uh, thanks." I shake my head, moving towards the stairs. I don't see how Beck puts up with it, but I guess he sees a different side of her. I mean, she can't be that mean all the time, can she? I climb the stairs, trying to avoid stepping on the scattered cups and various garbage strewn over them. Great. I'm going to be the one cleaning it all up. I always am.

I peer down the hall that leads to the bathroom. It's ajar, so I don't think she's in there. Although with Cat, who knows? She's... well, she's not terribly modest. She's gotten changed in front of me before when she's slept over. I didn't look. Well... I mean, not much, it'd be rude, but... it's like because I'm not supposed to look... I almost have to.

She wouldn't be in Trina's room. I know, because anyone who's ever been in there never ever goes back in. It's horrifying. I won't even go into it. Suffice it to say it's the scariest thing I've ever seen. And I don't think Cat would go into my parent's room, so that leaves mine.

I push open the door, looking around. Sure enough, Cat's hair catches my eye like it always does, and I move towards her. She's sitting on my bed, head bowed, fingers clenched in my blue bedspread. "Cat?" I say softly.

She looks up, surprise on her face. Cat's easy to read, she projects everything she feels. Her face is like an open book, and she's written in large print. But this... I can see a hint of... of sadness. Sometimes you get so used to reading the large print you don't see the smaller words. And these ones seem important. "Oh, hi Tori." A smile flickers over Cat's lips, her hand moving to toy with the floral bow in her hair. I've heard Cat cheerful, it's what she is most of the time, so I know what it sounds like. And this is fake cheer. Something's obviously bothering her, or she wouldn't be sitting up here in my room alone, she wouldn't be forcing a smile, and I wonder if it's something someone's said to her, if someone's stomped on the eggshells you have to tiptoe over around Cat.

"Are you okay?" I sit beside her on the bed, somewhat uncomfortably in my skinny jeans. My denim-clothed knee bumps against Cat's bare one, pushing her purple dress up a little. I move my knee away, the material falling back down, Cat not seeming to notice. She turns to me a little.

"I'm fine." She smiles brightly, but it doesn't reach her eyes. Cat sighs, "It's just... it's been a whole year and... all I wanted was someone to kiss on New Years. I mean... I thought it might've been Danny, but... you know..." I cringe. "And I've been trying _really_ hard to get a boyfriend." She looks down, plucking at my quilt. "I've never had a New Years kiss before."

"Why didn't you ask Andre? Or Robbie?"

She shrugs, her eyes darting up to me, "I don't know. I guess I don't really want to kiss them. Rex would be mean, and I thought you wouldn't like it if I kissed Andre."

My brow furrows. "What? Why?"

Cat twists her mouth, shrugging again. "I thought you and he sort of..."

I look at her in confusion, my eyes widening as I get what she's hinting at. "Oh. _Oh_. No, we're not. We're just friends."

A smile spreads across Cat's face, her shoulders relaxing. I don't know why, but that seems to have cheered her up a little. I smile back at her, somewhat confusedly. We jump as the countdown starts below, everyone chanting the seconds. Cat bites her lip, glancing towards the door, her eyebrows turning up pitifully. "It's too late. I'll have to wait until next year." She sighs, and I see her eyes start to shine with unshed tears. It's stupid, I know, and... it's probably just one of her Cat-isms, and she'll get over it, but it hurts me to see her this way. To see her so devastated. She's waited all year and it just... I can't bear to see her like this.

"_Three, two..._"

A tear spills over, running down Cat's cheek, her bottom lip quivering. I grit my teeth, closing my eyes and leaning over. I'm going to give her New Year's kiss. I can't stand seeing her this disappointed. My lips meet Cat's hesitantly, Cat's lips soft and still.

"_Happy New Year!_"

Cat makes a soft sound of surprise before her lips soften against mine, starting to kiss back, and it's... nice. Surprisingly so. I pull back, my heart racing in my chest, licking my lips. I smile at Cat uneasily. That was... I shake my head, patting Cat's shoulder. "Th-there. Now you've had a New Years kiss." I stand quickly, moving towards the door, the smile dropping from my face as soon as my back is towards Cat, my brow furrowing. It felt like... it shouldn't have felt like that.

I reach the doorway, Cat's voice making me pause. "Tori..."

I plaster that smile on my face again. "Yeah?" I turn back to Cat, who's touching her lips tentatively, a little wrinkle in between her eyebrows. She looks up at me, her eyes dark and wide, a little smile on her face that makes me swallow hard.

"Thanks." She says softly, lowering her hand.

I nod, not trusting myself to say anything. I turn again, exiting my room and walking down the dark hall, back towards the party. I was right. Her mouth _is_ sweet.

**A/N: Just a quick bit of fluff in time for New Years. Enjoy, and be safe, and if you feel like it, review.**

**Happy New Year!**


End file.
